The WTT Champions Chongqing 2026 concluded on Sunday, March 15, with two electrifying finals that showcased the rising generation of table tennis talent. France's Felix Lebrun claimed the men's singles title with a commanding 4-1 victory over China's Wen Ruibo, while Japan's Miwa Harimoto outlasted Kuai Man in a gripping seven-game women's final to etch her name in the record books.

Lebrun, just 19 years old and currently ranked World No. 6, was in superb form throughout the tournament held at the packed Chongqing arena. In the final against Wen Ruibo, the Frenchman raced through the opening two games 11-5 and 11-8 before dropping the third 9-11. Unfazed, Lebrun regrouped to take the fourth game 11-7 and then sealed the title 13-11 in a tense fifth game, wrapping up the match in under 40 minutes. It was his second career WTT Champions title, following his breakthrough victory in Montpellier in 2024.

Lebrun's path to the final was anything but easy. In the quarterfinals, he survived a grueling seven-game battle against Brazil's Hugo Calderano, the World Cup winner, to advance 4-3. The semifinal proved even more dramatic as Lebrun faced Japan's Sora Matsushima, who had stunned World No. 1 Wang Chuqin in the previous round. Matsushima raced to a 3-1 lead, but with over 10,000 spectators roaring him on inside the arena, Lebrun produced a remarkable comeback. He reeled off three consecutive games, all by a score of 11-6, to complete a stunning 4-3 reversal and book his spot in the final.

The women's final was equally captivating. Miwa Harimoto, just 17 years old, took on China's Kuai Man in a match that lasted exactly one hour. Harimoto opened strongly, taking the first game 11-6, but Kuai Man battled back fiercely, leveling the match and pushing it to a deciding seventh game. In the end, Harimoto's composure under pressure proved decisive as she closed out the match 11-6, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5 to claim her first WTT Champions title.

With the victory, Harimoto became the youngest player ever to win a WTT Champions crown, a remarkable achievement for the Japanese teenager who had come close in two previous attempts at this level. Kuai Man had entered the final in outstanding form, having produced a stunning upset victory over two-time champion Sun Yingsha earlier in the tournament.

The results in Chongqing underline a shifting of the guard in world table tennis. While Chinese players continue to dominate the rankings, young stars from France and Japan are proving they can compete and win at the highest level. Lebrun, in particular, has established himself as one of the most dangerous players on the WTT circuit, combining explosive forehand power with an aggressive style that thrills spectators.

Attention now turns to the upcoming ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London later this year, where more than 20,000 tickets have already been sold and finals sessions are close to selling out. If the drama in Chongqing is any indication, table tennis fans around the world have plenty to look forward to in what promises to be a landmark year for the sport.